We are in our final week of this liturgical year. As Advent nears, how do we respond to the title of this feast, Jesus Christ, King and Lord of the Universe? As we celebrate this last week of Ordinary Time, how does Jesus fit in with what it means to be a King and a hero in light of human history and a media filled with images and stories of “super heroes”? The following is my bulletin reflection on this important feast.
When my kids were young, they would come home from school and turn on the television to watch the cartoon show, He-Man. He-Man, a creation of Mattel, the toy manufacturer, was depicted as a tall, blonde, behemoth on a massive amount of steroids, who fought to keep Eternia from the clutches of the evil Skeletor. Throughout human history we have elevated similar figures to herodom, some real and some fictional, in our folklore, in poetry and literature, and in our entertainment. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, King Richard the Lionhearted, William Wallace (Braveheart), George Washington, Davy Crockett, Lawrence of Arabia, Rambo, to name just a few, capture the human imagination with their exploits, some based on truth, and much, on very elaborated fiction.
On this Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, one would think that with our human fixation on “heroes” such as those listed, we might see Jesus as some Marvel hero, dressed in a spandex super hero suit, packing six-pack abs, rippling muscles, square jaw, and a big JC emblazoned on his chest. However, Jesus was the complete antithesis of what human imagination depicts as a King and hero. With the exception of his own blood, Jesus ushered into our world a bloodless revolution that utterly changed our world. He was not a commander of vast armies. His name had none of the appellations we like to attach to the names of our heroes, like Lionhearted, the Great, or, the Terrible. Rather, the only appellation we attach to Jesus’ name is, “the Christ.”
If we want an image of a true hero, I encourage us to meditate upon the image of Jesus on the cross of San Damiano. We see the crucified Jesus, not dead, but alive. The witnesses of his crucifixion to the right and left of the cross. The angels on the crossbeam marveling in awe at the crucified Lord. At the top of the cross is the victorious Jesus rising from the dead in the company of ten angels. Jesus was born so that he would destroy our death by his own death, and with his resurrection from the dead raise us to eternal life. He used no guns, no swords, nor explosives. His only weapon was love, namely his love for God, his Father, and his love for us. Now that is a true hero!
